An Act of Folly
by cedfiafics
Summary: When Sofia makes plans with Cedric on the same night as an important diplomatic event she finds it impossible to choose between him and her prior obligations. With a little magic spell to create a doppelgänger she thinks she's found a solution, but she gets far more trouble than she bargained for. Adult Sofia/Cedric/Sofia the Worst, T for suggestive language
1. Dilemma

AN: Hey, look! It's another one of those _'supposed to be a one-shot'_ things! Fortunately, this will not be nearly as long as Offer Your Throat to the Wolf and I swear to you it will be a hell of a lot more light-hearted!

If you've read You Just Might Get It then you might recognize the Sorcerer's Soirée. Please note this story is a stand alone and is not in any way tied to the events in You Just Might Get It.

Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

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The Sorcerer's Soirée was the premier occasion of the year for every sorcerer and sorceress in the world, should one manage to obtain an invite. It was such an exclusive event that merely attending insured one high esteem within the realm of magical practitioners. It was something that Sofia had often heard Cedric talk about but it was something she'd never dreamed she'd be eligible to attend.

That was why it came as such an exciting surprise when Cedric approached her one evening after supper to inform her that he had secured an ever elusive invitation to the Sorcerer's Soirée and that he would like to extend the invitation to her as his guest. It took everything within her power to contain herself and her throbbing heart as she happily accepted.

She had been far too ecstatic at the prospect of attending such an event with her long time mentor that it didn't occur to her until it was far too late that the evening in question happened to fall on the same night that she and her family were set to host a grand party of their own to celebrate the royal family of a newly established nearby kingdom.

Her heart sank when she realized she would have to inform Cedric she wouldn't be able to attend the Sorcerer's Soirée with him.

But each time she tried to inform the man that she had a prior engagement she found herself unable to do so. He was very frenzied, so worried about making a good impression on the organization holding the event to the point of meticulously planning topics of conversation for the evening as well as coordinating their wardrobe in appropriate colors. She simply couldn't bring herself to tell him that she couldn't attend.

This wasn't the first instance that her royal duties had stood in the way of doing something else she would have preferred. In fact, it seemed that more often than not she was brushing plans with Cedric aside for what she was required to do as a princess. She didn't want to do it again, especially when the event was so important to Cedric.

She didn't want to disappoint him.

But on the day of the events she knew she had to take action. Both her family and Cedric were counting on her to be there for them like she said she would be. She felt she was out of options and she knew she would have to break the news to _someone_ that she was unable to hold up her end of the bargain.

She went to her sister, seeking advice about what she ought to do.

"Amber..." Sofia said with a sigh. "I could really use your help."

"Oh! Do you need me to help you pick out a gown to wear tonight?" Amber chimed happily. "I'd be more than willing."

Sofia sighed and clenched her hands together. "No, I already know what gown I'm going to wear. Well, sort of. There's two gowns, you see. One for the party tonight and one for the Sorcerer's Soirée... also tonight."

"Sorcerer's Soirée?" Amber asked, looking up at Sofia's reflection in the mirror. "Isn't that the little party you were so excited about Cedric inviting you to?"

"It's not just a little party, Amber." Sofia replied. "It's the biggest event of the year for a sorcerer to attend and it's really important to Mr. Cedric."

Amber smirked at the fact that her sister, well into her twenties at this point, still referred to the royal sorcerer as _Mr._ despite outranking him in every way. She returned her attention to her make-up and gave the younger woman a shrug. "So what are you going to do? You know you should be here with us tonight. It's the diplomatic thing to do."

"Yes, I know." Sofia said, lowering her gaze.

"But you also want to go to that silly little party with Cedric." Amber replied. "And I know that's the party you'd rather attend given your _infatuation_ with him."

Sofia turned crimson and averted her eyes from her sister's reflection. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"No, of course not." Amber cast her sister a knowing grin and rolled her eyes. "Anyhow, the answer is obvious. Just make a copy of yourself like you did that one time when we were children."

Sofia's eyes grew wide at her sister's suggestion and at first it seemed like the perfect solution. But she quickly remembered how it had backfired on her all those years ago. The copy she had made of herself had turned out to be a vile, rotten little thing with no regard for anyone but herself. "Don't you remember what happened last time I did that? She turned out horrible. I can't do that again."

"But you're much better at magic this time around." Amber replied. "You have years of practice under your belt. I'm sure that if you made a copy now she would turn out absolutely fine."

"I just don't know." Sofia said apprehensively. "It's so risky. If something goes wrong-"

"How about I keep an eye on her for you?" Amber offered. "And if she starts to act up I'll simply get rid of her and tell everyone that you were feeling ill. I may not be as skilled as you when it comes to magic but I think I can handle a counter-spell without too much hassle."

Sofia turned away from her sister and looked at the ground in thought. There was nothing she wanted more than to spend the evening with Cedric as his guest at one of the most prestigious events of the year. Still, the thought of what could go wrong in her absence was petrifying. "But what if-"

"What if the sun doesn't come up tomorrow? What if the entire world falls out from under our feet?" Amber retorted as she stood and approached her sister, clasping the young woman's shoulders reassuringly. "There's an entire world of 'what ifs' out there, Sofia. You can't live your life by them."

Sofia shook her head, glancing over her shoulder at her sister. "But-"

"I have some 'what ifs' for you. What if you and Cedric go to this party and have the time of your lives? What if he finally stops looking at you as his apprentice and starts looking at you as something more?"

"I..." Sofia blushed as she considered Amber's words. The idea of Cedric looking at her in the way she looked at him was a thrilling one. She'd wanted him to _really_ see her for so long that just imagining it was enough to make her whole body quake. "Okay, I'll do it."

Amber smiled widely and patted her sister on the head. "I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time at your little party."

"I hope you're right." Sofia said quietly.


	2. History Repeats Itself

AN: Thank you all for your reviews so far!

So on my previous story I originally didn't have an upload schedule but I eventually found a nice rhythm with Wednesday/Friday morning uploads (or Tuesday/Thursday night uploads because I was impatient) with occasional weekend uploads when I could manage. This story is definitely on the shorter side so I'm doing away with weekend uploads and just sticking to my Wednesday/Friday schedule, unless I'm feeling extra frisky. ;)

I hope you enjoy this chapter, although next chapter is where things start to get interesting. Let me know what you think and I'll see you on Wednesday!

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Sofia stood staring at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing an olive green gown, fairly modest for a princess but it didn't need to be too impressive. She was going to be spending the evening with some of the world's most renowned sorcerers; she would be the least impressive thing in the room.

Doubt began to crawl its way into her heart as she stared at herself. Cedric would likely be so busy chatting it up with his fellow sorcerers all night that he would barely notice her. Perhaps he was the one she should send off with the copy while she spared herself the heartbreak of being ignored the entire evening.

Whatever she chose to do, however, she knew she needed to do it soon. Guests were beginning to arrive at the castle and Cedric had asked her to be in his workshop at six o'clock sharp. She only had thirty minutes at her disposal before she needed to be on the move.

She clutched her wand in her hand and raised it above her head, pointed at herself as she spoke the words that had once gotten her into so much trouble all those years ago. " _Doppler duplicato_."

The princess clenched her eyes shut tightly, bracing herself for the worst. But when her eyes popped open she saw her copy standing there wearing a sweet smile and a gown identical to hers, though it was burnt sienna in color. She cocked a nervous eyebrow at the figure and looked her over. "Uhm, hello there."

"Hello!" The duplicate chimed happily.

"Are you aware of what you are?" Sofia asked, watching the other woman cautiously.

"I'm you." The copy answered. "A magical replica of you, that is. And I'm sure you must have created me for a _very_ important purpose."

"Yes." Sofia replied with an eager nod. "You see, I have diplomatic duties to attend to this evening but I also told someone dear to me that I would attend a very important party with him. I don't want to let my family or my kingdom down, but I definitely don't want to let Mr. Cedric down."

The duplicate raised an eyebrow at the woman before her in interest. "Mr. Cedric? The royal sorcerer?"

Sofia nodded once again and let out a heavy sigh. "It's really important for him to make a good impression at the Sorcerer's Soirée. I want to be there for him. I want his evening to be perfect. I want..."

The copy smiled at the princess as she trailed off. "Say no more. I know exactly what you want. So, how can I be of assistance?"

"Well," Sofia said a bit apprehensively as she motioned for the doppelgänger to follow her into the closet. "I need you to attend the ball my family is throwing tonight. We're doing it to honor a family that recently rose to power and established a kingdom in former Enchancia territory. As I'm sure you can imagine, tensions are pretty high and right now we're really just trying to keep the peace. It's very important that whatever you do, you're always polite and courteous and never speak out of turn."

"And you're trusting a magical copy with such a delicate situation?" The duplicate Sofia asked in mild surprise as she followed the original into her closet. "You must _really_ want to go to that party."

"It's not so much about the party." Sofia replied. "It's Mr. Cedric. He... he means so much to me and I don't want to let him down. He's equally as important to me as these duties I have to attend to. Maybe a little bit _more_ important, actually. I really want to be there for him."

"Aww, that's so sweet." Sofia's copy said, smiling widely. "You must really adore him to put aside your royal duties just for his sake."

Sofia blushed lightly and averted her gaze as she began sifting through her gowns in search of the one she had decided would be perfect for the ball. "I don't know if adore is the right word. It's stronger than that. The way I feel about Mr. Cedric is... is so complex. I really can't put it into words."

"Still, it sounds like there's a _lot_ at stake with this ball your family is throwing." The replica replied with a shrug. "It just seems risky to let me represent you at such a critical event. Maybe you should let me handle Cedric instead. I'll be sure to show him a good time."

Sofia paused and looked her copy over in thought. The other was right, to an extent. Trusting a magical duplicate to handle such a tense diplomatic situation could be potentially disastrous. However, Amber had offered to keep close watch over the situation and deal with it appropriately. Sofia trusted her sister. Amber knew how important both events were and she wouldn't allow chaos to ensue.

"I appreciate the offer." Sofia said with a smile at the doppelgänger. "But I really ought to be the one to go with Mr. Cedric. You'll do fine here. My sister will be with you every step of the way to make sure you know exactly what to do. Now, we need to change your gown. You'll have to look a lot more regal at the ball."

"Oh, but I _like_ this dress." The copy said, spinning around so that the skirt flared out. "I think I'll keep it on."

Sofia paused to look up at the figure, her brow furrowing slightly. "But you can't wear that to the ball."

"I can't?" Sofia's duplicate said, raising her gaze to the original.

"Unfortunately, no." Sofia answered with a nervous laugh. "Amber would kill me if I brought you to her in that dress. Not to mention it would look bad for my family if I, meaning you, were to show up wearing something so simple. We have to try our hardest to make a good impression."

"I see." Sofia's replica said with a smile. "Well, I'm still not changing. This gown suits me. I guess that means I'm going to Cedric's little party after all, doesn't it?"

Sofia's eyes widened as the copy rushed from the closet and slammed the door shut. She bolted to the door and tried to open it but she found herself locked in. She tried the handle several more times but whatever her copy had done, it had sealed the door firmly. She began kicking and banging at the locked portal, yelling to her doppelgänger on the other side. "Let me out of here! Let me out now!"

"Oh, I don't think so." The duplicate said, calling to the original trapped in the closet. "See, I owe _both_ you and your little sorcerer friend repayment for getting rid of me all those years ago. There's no way I'm going to pass this opportunity up."

Sofia froze, realizing far too late that this copy she had made of herself was the same mischievous copy from her childhood. Dread filled her but she didn't give herself much time to think over it. She banged on the door again, this time in sorrow. "Leave Mr. Cedric alone! Please don't do anything to him!"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about your _dear Mr. Cedric_." The replica said in a mocking tone. "I'll be sure to take really good care of him."

Sofia listened in horror as the copy of herself let out a wretched cackle. She then heard the sound of footfall leaving and the door to her bedroom slamming shut. She pressed her head against the inside of her closet door and let out a heavy, disheartened sigh.

"Great... what do I do now?"


	3. Not As It Seems

AN: You know what? Waiting all the way 'til Wednesday from Friday seems ridiculously long for some reason. I think the new upload schedule will be Tuesday/Friday mornings instead.

Thank you all who have reviewed so far! I love reading your reactions! It brings me so much joy. :) I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Please let me know what you think!

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Cedric was pacing his workshop nervously. He had expected Sofia to be there already, though truthfully it was still much earlier than the time he'd told her to arrive. But she'd been just as excited as he was, or at least seemed to be, and because of that he assumed she would show up in plenty of time for them to go over everything he had planned for the evening. Waiting on her to arrive was torturous, but not nearly as insufferable as Wormwood's occasional snide remarks.

As if on cue, the raven let loose another comment to tear at his confidence and fill him with doubt. "You realize she's not going to show up given all the pomp and circumstance going on down there. What with the big to-do about their frilly little ball I'm sure she's forgotten all about her plans with you."

Cedric cast daggers with his eyes at the raven, if only to mask the absolute feeling of despair seeping into him. It wasn't that he hadn't considered Wormwood's words. The truth was that it was already a big concern at the forefront of his mind, he just didn't need his feathered companion stating it out loud.

Instead he decided to dismiss the raven's remarks with words of assurance for himself. "Sofia wouldn't do that. She told me she was going to come. She'll be here. It's still early."

"You should just bring me instead." Wormwood said dryly. "Honestly, I don't know why you're so dead set on taking the princess anyhow."

"It will say a lot if I show up with her on my arm." Cedric replied. "Given what has happened in the past I think it will speak volumes to the Wizards of Wisteria if I attend with her as my guest. Besides, I..." He trailed of with a sigh and shook his head, knowing the raven would only guffaw in response.

"Yes, yes. Sometimes I forget about your little infatuation with her. You hide it so well." Wormwood said with a snort. "Well, if you need me I'll be out and about _enjoying_ my evening. Have fun waiting for your fair maiden to show."

Cedric growled as he watched Wormwood leave his perch and fly out the open window. He then returned to his pacing, concern creeping up on him with each passing minute.

He tried not to allow himself to think about Wormwood being right. Sofia wasn't the type of person to leave him without so much as a notice and she wasn't one to make promises she didn't intend to keep. Still, as word had passed through the castle about the evening's ball and its importance he couldn't help but wonder if the princess had realized her greater duty was to serve the kingdom rather than run off with him to a party that, while incredibly significant for him, was merely just another party for her.

But as a storm cloud of negative thoughts began to rain down on his mind he heard a knock at his door. He darted forward to answer it immediately and relief filled him when he saw what appeared to be Sofia standing on the other side of the portal wearing a wide smile. "Princess Sofia, you're here."

"I said I would be, didn't I?" The duplicate Sofia replied, stepping past Cedric into his workshop.

"Yes, I suppose you did." Cedric replied. "I was hoping we could go over the topics of conversation again. I just want to make sure everything is perfect and... y-your dress!"

"Oh, do you like it?" The copy asked as she whirled around to face Cedric with a grin, twirling her gown as she did so. "Don't I look pretty?"

"Yes, of course you do." Cedric said, clearing his throat. "But I thought we agreed that an olive color dress would look much better against my attire."

"Don't be silly." Sofia's replica said with a wave of her hand. "You know that nobody is going to be paying that much attention to what you're wearing when you have _me_ with you."

Cedric looked at the woman before him, slightly taken aback by her words, but he quickly shook them off. "I-I suppose you're right. Anyhow, we should take this time to go over-"

"Look, are we going to this party or not?" The copy asked with a huff. "The longer we hang around this dump the more likely we are to get held up."

Cedric's brow furrowed at the woman's words and he looked at her in concern. "Princess, is everything alright? You're not acting quite yourself."

"I'm sorry. I'm being impatient." The doppelgänger replied with a forced smile. "It's just that if we hang around too long my parents will expect me to go to that stupid ball when all I _really_ want to do is be with you."

"I-I uh..." Cedric smiled nervously at the figure standing before him and bowed his head to her to hide his blush. "I'm glad to hear you say that, Princess. I'm quite eager to spend this evening with you as well."

Sofia's replica smiled to herself. It was becoming apparent that Cedric seemed to be equally as interested in Sofia as the princess was in him. She could play it to her advantage and use it in her revenge if she went about it wisely. She quickly tugged her gown down a bit to expose the tops of her breasts a little more prominently and took a step toward the sorcerer. "So, are you whisking me away for a night of pleasure or aren't you, _Mr. Cedric_?"

Cedric took a step back, though he didn't have far to go with the door directly behind him. There was something about the tone in the woman's voice that simultaneously intrigued him and made him recoil in fear. "We'll leave soon, Princess. I just really want to use this spare time to practice more."

"Practice what?" The copy asked with a sly smile, tucking her arms behind her back to display her cleavage to the man. "Being devilishly handsome?"

Cedric's mouth fell slightly agape as his eyes drifted down to the woman's breasts. His tongue went dry a moment before he snapped his mouth back shut and forced his eyes to her face. "U-uhm... not quite. As I've told you, I'm very nervous about this evening. I want to make sure I don't say or do anything to embarrass myself in front of the Wizards of Wisteria. I was hoping you would help me go over those topics of conversation just one more time."

"But I can think of much better ways to spend our time." The Sofia duplicate said, stepping closer to Cedric. "If we've got a while we can do something far more entertaining than just going over silly little chit-chat."

"Wh-what did you have in mind?" Cedric dribbled out, unable to hide his blush at this point.

The replica smiled widely as she swayed back and forth, staring up at the sorcerer from under heavy eyelids. "I'm all yours tonight _Mr. Cedric_. You can do whatever you want to me."

Cedric felt his entire body flushing crimson at those words and the tone accompanying them. He quickly shook his immediately perverse thoughts, however. Surely she didn't mean her words the way they sounded. No, not his sweet Sofia. He was a scoundrel for thinking, even for a split second, that she would say something so promiscuous. He needed to do something to distract himself from her nearness and the immoral images dancing through his head.

"P-perhaps you were right, earlier, Princess." Cedric muttered as he averted his gaze from the woman. "Perhaps we should just be on our way."

"Are you sure?" The duplicate asked, batting her eyes at Cedric. "You know I would do _anything_ to please you. You just have to let me."

Cedric pushed past the princess, unable to get away from her fast enough. Whether or not she meant her words to sound seductive, they were causing him to stir uncomfortably anyhow. It wasn't that he wasn't prone to the the occasional lecherous thought about her, it was just that he tried not to entertain such ideas in her presence. She was just making that damn near impossible now.

He swallowed the lump rising in his throat and did his best to avoid her gaze. "I really think we ought to go now."

The doppelgänger turned her gaze to Cedric in disbelief. There she was practically throwing herself at him and he wasn't taking the bait. She was mildly irritated, but chose to keep pressing him. "But we still have so much time. I thought you wanted to-"

"Better for us to be early than late." Cedric said, cutting the woman off with a smile over his shoulder.

The replica furrowed her brow, fully annoyed at this point. She reached out and grabbed Cedric's arm a little less than gently. "But I thought we-"

"Princess, please." Cedric said quietly. "We should be on our way."

"Fine." Sofia's copy let out a snort and crossed her arms over her chest. "Let's just go to your stupid party then."

Cedric froze at the woman's words and looked to her in shock. She was acting very unlike herself this evening, though for what reason he didn't know. Perhaps she was stressed, he reasoned. After all, she was skipping a very important ball in favor of spending the evening with him. It was likely that her parents were displeased with her and that undoubtedly put more stress on her than she deserved, not to mention that he himself had been relentlessly hounding her about the Sorcerer's Soirée and his desire for perfection there. That amount of pressure could cause even the most collected individuals to act strangely.

He ignored the bite in her words and forced a smile as he reached out, offering his arm to the woman. "Shall we?"


	4. Reluctant Ally

AN: Hey, look who got impatient again... this gal! So here's your chapter a day earlier than promised.

I know these chapters are a little short but that's unfortunately the nature of the beast with short stories like this, at least for me. Tuesday's chapter will be significantly longer, I promise.

I appreciate all your reviews so far! Please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!

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Amber let out a heavy sigh as she trudged the short distance down the hall to her sister's bedroom. She had expected Sofia would have been long gone by then, leaving her with the copy for the evening. She reached up and knocked lightly on her sister's door but there came no answer so she opened the door and peered inside.

The first thing she noticed was how eerily quiet it was. She thought at least she would find the younger woman fussing with her appearance or preparing her replica for the night ahead. Instead the room appeared vacant. She took a few hesitant steps into the room and glanced around in concern. "Sofia? Are you here?"

There came a loud bang behind Amber and she jumped in terror. She whirled around to face the noise only to hear her sister's muffled cries coming from the closet which had been barred shut by a floor-standing candelabrum.

She didn't allow much time for confusion to set in. She merely rushed to the closet and yanked on the iron candle holder until it came loose from the door handle. The door opened immediately to reveal her sister looking terribly distraught. "Sofia, wha-"

"I have to go." Sofia said, pushing past Amber. "That copy I made locked me in my closet and she's going after Mr. Cedric!"

"What?" Amber looked at her sister in confusion. "What does she want with Cedric?"

"She's the same copy as last time." Sofia replied. "She must have... I don't know... been inside me this whole time or something. Waiting and wanting revenge on us for getting rid of her the first time."

"Well, how dangerous is she?" Amber asked, following after her sister as the woman stormed swiftly through the castle. "You don't think she'll kill him, do you?"

"I don't know." Sofia answered. "But I'm not waiting around to find out. Tell Mom and Dad I'm sorry about the ball. I'll do my best to be back before too long."

Amber blinked at her sister's retreating form in worry before calling out to her. "Be careful, Sofia!"

Sofia barely heard her sister's words with her heart pounding in her ears. She hurried through the halls as fast as her feet could carry her on her way to Cedric's workshop. All sorts of horrible images were making their way to her mind about just what the replica was capable of but she did her best to shake those thoughts away and just focus on getting to Cedric before anything bad could happen.

She rushed up the stairs to Cedric's workshop and burst through the door but she found the room devoid of life. She was filled with instant panic as she looked around frantically for any sign that the sorcerer might still be there. "Mr. Cedric!? Mr. Cedric!?"

"What in the blue blazes are _you_ doing here?" Wormwood cawed as he perched on the windowsill, looking in at Sofia half in annoyance, half in bewilderment. "Didn't I just see you leave with Cedric?"

"Wormwood!" Sofia turned to the raven, out of breath and full of worry. "The woman with Mr. Cedric isn't me! She's a magical duplicate I made of myself but there's something wrong with her! There's no telling what she'll do."

Wormwood's gaze narrowed on the princess and he scoffed in disgust. "You mean to tell me you sent him off with a flawed replica of yourself because you couldn't be bothered to go to the Sorcerer's Soirée with him? I could have guessed as much."

"No, it isn't like that!" Sofia shouted, shaking her head vigorously. "There was nothing I wanted more than to go with Mr. Cedric. I created the copy to go to the ball for me but she trapped me in my closet and came for Mr. Cedric instead. He could be in serious danger with her and it's all my fault!"

Wormwood looked Sofia over as her eyes filled up with tears. It was clear that she was truly upset by all of this and if what she was saying was true, he too should be concerned. He let out a sigh and turned back out the window. "I suppose I should go warn him. I only hope my wings can carry me faster than those flying horses."

"I won't be far behind." Sofia said, hand reaching instinctively to clutch her amulet. She focused on Wormwood, now able to change her form to the animal of her choosing without an utterance thanks to Cedric's tutelage. She felt her arms becoming wings, feathers sprouting out of her flesh as she took to the air to follow after the raven. She flapped her wings frantically, closing the distance between herself and the sorcerer's familiar.

Wormwood glanced at Sofia as she caught up to him in her new avian form. "Do you know where they're holding the soirée?"

"Mr. Cedric said it's being held at Merlin's tower this year." Sofia answered, beating her wings desperately.

"Well, at the very least we know the location." Wormwood said, flapping as hard and fast as he could. "I doubt we'll be able to catch up to them at this rate."

"Oh, this is all my fault!" Sofia cried out.

"Yes it is." Wormwood replied with a squawk. "What gave you the foolish idea to create a duplicate of yourself after the last time?"

Sofia sighed and shook her head as she continued to keep Wormwood's pace. "Amber made the suggestion but I... I was stupid enough to actually go through with it. I thought my magic was better. I thought I could make a copy without messing it up this time."

"That's not how the spell works." Wormwood said with a snort. "There is a fail-safe written into the spell to prevent the person casting it from making exact replicas of themselves. Cedric told me as much the day he tried casting it on me."

"I-I didn't know that." Sofia said, dismay flooding over her.

"That just goes to show that you shouldn't be playing with magic when you don't know the repercussions." Wormwood chided. "Have you learned nothing from Cedric?"

"I've learned everything I know from Mr. Cedric." Sofia replied sadly. "And I _know_ I should never cast a spell that I don't fully understand. I just... I didn't want to let him down. He's been looking forward to the Sorcerer's Soirée from the moment he secured an invitation. He wanted tonight to be perfect and I wanted everything to be perfect for him. Now it's an absolute disaster! He's never going to forgive me!"

Wormwood rolled his eyes at the princess and her bellyaching. "Spare me the theatrics. You know as well as I do that you could commit the most heinous of crimes against Cedric and he would still be singing your praises. He practically worships the ground you walk on."

Sofia shook her head, lowering her gaze to the ground passing below them. "That's not true. I've seen the way Mr. Cedric reacts when I enter the room; how tense he gets."

"Mmm, yes. That must be why he invited you to the single most important event of his life to date... because he can't _stand_ to be around you." Wormwood replied sarcastically. "Tell me, Princess, is your stupidity just an act or are you really that dumb?"

Sofia cast a hurt glance at the raven but she knew to expect as much from him. He had never really liked her, but things had seemingly gotten worse in the past few years. That dislike had become more akin to all out resentment, though she didn't know why.

She returned her eyes forward and let out a disappointed sigh. "Why are you even bothering to help me if you hate me so much?"

"You come to me in a panic telling me that Cedric's life may be in danger from your reckless actions and you expect me to do what? Just sit there and hope that you're actually capable of fixing the problem yourself? Of course I'm going to help." Wormwood retorted. "And don't flatter yourself, Princess. I don't care enough to hate you. Quite frankly I don't care about you one way or the other. The only person I _do_ care about is Cedric. If you're picking up on any animosity coming from my end perhaps you should reevaluate your relationship with _him_."

Sofia's brow furrowed at the raven's words, not entirely sure what he meant, though she was too afraid to ask him at that point. Instead she focused on flying as fast as she could in the direction of Merlin's tower, hoping beyond all hope that they wouldn't be too late.


	5. Appearances and Their Deceptions

AN: So it's Labor Day and I'm bored and impatient. Here's your chapter a day early! :D

Thank you as always for the reviews! Please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!

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Cedric held his head high, heart pounding in his chest as he entered Merlin's tower with his beautiful companion on his arm. The Sorcerer's Soirée was already everything he had always dreamed it would be and they had barely stepped through the door. He spotted his mother and father immediately, though it was hard to miss them with his mother waving frantically. He grimaced in embarrassment but quickly forced a smile and started in their direction. "We'd better go say hello now or I'll never hear the end of it."

Sofia's duplicate smirked out of Cedric's eyesight and walked along with him as they approached an elderly couple she assumed were his parents given the small resemblances. So many opportunities were already presenting themselves to her for causing Cedric's ruin; she was delighted.

"Ceddy-kins!" Winifred cooed as she reached up to pinch her son's cheek. "You look so handsome!"

"Thank you Mummy, I-I mean, Mother." Cedric corrected, eager not to make any humiliating statements in the presence of anyone at the soirée.

"And Princess Sofia! Why, you look simply gorgeous, darling!" Winifred reached out to grab the woman's hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. "You are a picture of loveliness!"

"Thank you." The copy said, forcing a syrupy sweet tone with the woman. "And to think Cedric said he didn't like my gown."

Winifred gasped and turned an intense glare at her son. "Cedric, tell me you said no such thing!"

"I-I didn't say I didn't like the gown." Cedric replied, glancing between his companion and his mother. "I merely mentioned that the color isn't what we agreed upon. But the gown is fine. I have no problem with it at all."

"It certainly didn't seem that way back in your workshop." Sofia's replica said with a pout.

Winifred cocked an eyebrow at Cedric, but he only looked away from her in discomfort. She then reached for the young woman's hand and pulled at her. "Come along with me, dear. We'll get you some refreshments." She gripped her husband's arm as she passed him and leaned in to whisper to him. " _Do_ advise your son on the etiquette of addressing a lady."

Cedric watched in dismay as his mother led his companion off before turning his gaze to his father. "Father, I-"

"Relax, Cedric." Goodwin said with a smirk. "I'm not going to lecture you."

Cedric let out a relieved sigh and smiled at his father. "You're not?"

"No. You're behaving precisely as you should." Goodwin replied. "There is no reason for you to gush about the princess or her appearance. Quite the opposite. Being standoffish is far more appropriate given your status as the royal sorcerer. You wouldn't want anyone to misconstrue your relationship with the woman. It's odd enough that you brought her as your guest tonight."

"Yes, well..." Cedric cleared his throat and averted his gaze from his father. "I thought it might look good to have her with me. I know appearances are important to you."

"Indeed they are." Goodwin agreed. "And speaking of appearances, your sister and your niece are making theirs as we speak."

Cedric turned to look where his father had gestured to see his sister and niece entering the soirée looking radiant as ever. A soft smile crossed his face as both women spotted them and started eagerly over. "Cordelia, Calista, how have you been?"

"Oh, Uncle Ceddy!" Calista chimed in excitement as she threw her arms around the man. "You look so handsome!"

"You look very smart this evening, Cedric." Cordelia said with a smile, reaching up to straighten her brother's bow tie. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you're trying to impress more than just the Wizards of Wisteria."

Cedric lowered his sister's hand, fighting the blush coming to his face. "Nonsense. I just wanted to dress my best for the occasion."

"Yes, your first time at the Sorcerer's Soirée." Cordelia said, clasping her brother's hands. "How very exciting. I hope you'll enjoy yourself."

"I hope so as well." Cedric replied. "I just-"

"Is that Sofia!?" Calista asked, looking past her uncle to the woman she spotted standing beside her grandmother.

Cedric cringed inwardly at the volume of his niece's voice but smiled and nodded anyhow. "Yes, she's my guest this evening."

"Your guest, huh?" Cordelia purred, leaning in closer to tease her brother by running her finger up his chest to tap him on the nose. "No wonder you're so sharply dressed."

"Cordelia, please." Cedric muttered before glancing at their father. "Now is not the time."

"Oh, I'm only teasing, Ceddy." Cordelia said with a smirk. "Though I will remark that the princess should have chosen a different color gown if she wanted to be your date. You two clash frightfully with that color she's wearing."

Cedric lowered his head and let out a heavy sigh. "That's what I was afraid of."

"I think she looks lovely." Calista interjected, admiring the gown as the other woman approached with her grandmother. "Hi Sofia! How've you been?"

The doppelgänger looked at the younger woman addressing her to see excitement plastered on her face. She was clearly a relative of Cedric's, sharing similar features with the man, as well did the woman standing to his left. She forced a smile at them both and shrugged. "Oh, you know. Just the same boring stuff at the castle. Nothing too terribly interesting."

"That's not entirely true, Princess." Cedric interjected before turning his gaze to his family members. "We've actually been working extensively on her magical abilities as of late. She's always been very skilled but she's really put her heart and soul into the past few years of training and has become quite powerful." He paused and turned his gaze to his companion with pride. "She may be my guest this evening but she has more than earned her right to be here with the rest of us."

"That's fantastic!" Calista said with a smile. "I'm so glad Uncle Ceddy brought you tonight."

" _Uncle Ceddy_?" The replica mimicked with a snort. "How old are you again?"

Cedric's eyes widened at the woman's response to his niece. It was not only unexpected but a bit cruel as well, given that Sofia knew Calista had always looked up to her. He looked between the two young women, noting the look of dismay on his niece's face. He quickly took his companion's arm and looked to the others apologetically. "Uhm, perhaps we should go find our seats. E-excuse us."

Sofia's copy looked up at Cedric in annoyance as he began leading her away. "Where are we going? I wasn't done talking."

"Are you sure you're feeling alright, Princess?" Cedric asked leading Sofia along from the entryway toward the grand hall where dinner would be served. "You're acting very strangely this evening."

"I'm feeling fine." The duplicate replied. "But I'll be feeling better once I get a few glasses of champagne in me."

"I'm not so sure that's a wise idea, Princess." Cedric said, concern filling him instantly at the idea of the woman drinking anything to cause her to act even more strangely. "I don't think your parents would appreciate it very much if I stole you away in the midst of a diplomatic crisis just to ply you with alcohol."

The copy scoffed and rolled her eyes at the sorcerer's words. "I'm an adult. I can do whatever I want."

"Indeed you can." Cedric agreed hesitantly. "It's just that appearances-"

"Appearances can be deceiving, Cedric." The replica said with a smirk. "Now be a good boy and get me a drink. I'm going to go mingle."

Cedric eyed the woman nervously as she pulled away from him. "Princess... you'll stick to appropriate topics of conversation, right?"

The duplicate glanced over her shoulder at Cedric as she continued away from him. "Don't worry, _Ceddy_ , I won't say anything to damage your good name."

Cedric watched, an ill feeling rising up in his stomach as his companion sauntered off into the crowd. He then turned away and started back toward the refreshment table to grab the woman a glass of champagne as she'd requested. There were harder alcohols available, so he supposed he should just count himself lucky that she wasn't asking for something more toxic.

He tried to hurry in his quest for champagne so that he wouldn't leave his companion unattended for too long but the feeling of someone slinking up beside him let him know that he wasn't getting away so easily.

"Cedric, is everything alright?" Cordelia asked as she slid up next to her brother to speak discretely. "Mother was just telling me that Sofia was complaining to her about how cruel you've been lately. That doesn't sound like you, at least, not where the princess is concerned. And with what she just said to Calista... something is definitely amiss. What's going on?"

"I'm not sure." Cedric answered with a sigh. "I know I've been putting a lot of pressure on her lately. I've been so concerned about how the Wizards of Wisteria would perceive me that I put appearances before everything else, even her own well-being. I'm sure she's under pressure from her parents as well. There's quite a bit of political tension in Enchancia right now and I know everyone in the royal family is experiencing higher levels of stress than normal. I've only been making it worse on her."

"Well, perhaps you should apologize to her." Cordelia suggested. "I'm sure all of this is very nerve-racking for her, given everything else that's going on. I... I don't want to see you lose her over something like this."

Cedric let out a huff and shook his head at his sister. "Cordelia-"

"You may be able to hide it from Father and even the princess herself but you can't hide it from me or Mother." Cordelia chided delicately. "I see how you look at her, Cedric. Your heart practically beats out of your chest every time she's around you."

"Yes, but as Father is so quick to remind me, I'm merely the royal sorcerer." Cedric replied.

"I don't think something like that would matter much to the princess." Cordelia offered with a smile. "And if it doesn't matter to her and it doesn't matter to you then it shouldn't matter at all. Perhaps tonight is the night you should confess your feelings to her. Just walk right up to her and tell her what's in your heart."

"Oh, how I wish it were that simple, Cordy." Cedric replied with a groan. "Nothing is ever that simple when I'm involved. Anyhow, I'd better get back to her. If she really is upset with how I've handled the past few weeks I need to apologize to her immediately. Perhaps I can salvage the evening for her and alleviate some of that pressure I put on her."

"Good luck with that, Cedric." Cordelia said, casting her brother a wink.

Cedric gave his sister an uneasy smile before starting back toward the grand hall with two flutes of champagne in hand. He looked around the room for his companion but saw no sign of her. What he did spot, however, was a cluster of people off to the side.

He made his way in that direction, hoping he would find Sofia somewhere amongst the gathering. Instead he found his companion standing at the center, just as everyone around burst into uncontrollable laughter. Her eyes flashed to him and there was something within them that struck him with a feeling of dread.

"Oh, Cedric..." Sofia's replica said with a small laugh. "We were just talking about you."

Cedric stared at the woman with wide eyes. He could feel his face reddening and fear coursed through him at what she may have said about him to have everyone around in an uproar of laughter. He took a hesitant step toward her and offered a flute of champagne into her hand. "W-we should go take our seats."

"Are you kidding me? Not yet! I'm making so many friends!" The doppelgänger said with a smirk. She brought the glass of champagne to her lips and tilted her head back, drinking it down quickly before handing the empty glass back to Cedric and taking the other from his hand to do the same. She then reached up to pat his cheek as she turned away from him. "Go get me two more."

Cedric looked at his companion in shock as she turned her back to him completely and left him standing with the two empty glasses in hand. He was at a loss for words and at an even bigger loss for what to do.

She certainly wasn't acting herself. If he didn't know any better he would have swore he accidentally brought Amber with him by mistake. But no, not even Amber would have acted quite this way. Something was definitely strange and he needed to get to the bottom of it before things became disastrous.

He set the empty champagne flutes on a nearby pedestal and advanced quickly on the woman, reaching out to clasp her delicately on the elbow. "Princess, can we talk? Privately?"

Sofia's duplicate rolled her eyes and turned to face Cedric with a sigh. "If it means you'll go and get me more champagne afterward then sure. Let's talk."

Cedric glanced around at the others before placing his hand on the small of the woman's back to lead her to a more secluded area. Once they were far enough away from any potentially listening ears he stepped in front of her and clasped her hands gently. "Please tell me what's the matter. I'm racking my brain and yet I can't determine what exactly is making you act this way. You're not yourself, no matter how much you insist that you are. I-is this my fault? Have I caused this in some way?"

"Well, you're the cause of _most_ problems, aren't you?" The copy said with a shrug and a smirk. "But as far as my behavior tonight, this is all me."

Cedric's face fell at the woman's response but he wasn't accepting it as an answer. He shook his head and gripped her hands a bit more tightly. "Princess, if you're mad at me or upset with me, please just let me know. I know that I've put a lot of undue stress on you these past few weeks trying to prepare for this soirée. I've pressured you a lot to be perfect this evening but the truth is, you were already perfect. I pushed you unnecessarily and I'm so sorry."

The duplicate Sofia cocked her head to the side and gave Cedric a wide smile as she replied. "Yeah, I don't really care about any of that."

"Y-You don't?" Cedric asked in confusion. "Then why-"

"Look, I'm here to have fun. It's a party! You're taking this whole thing _way_ too seriously." The doppelgänger said with a laugh. "None of these other sorcerers are acting as stiff as a board."

"None of these other sorcerers have a storm cloud hanging over their legacies." Cedric said sadly. "Of everyone here I'm the only one who has to prove himself worthy. That's why we practiced. So I would be ready."

The copy rolled her eyes and snorted in response to the sorcerer. "A waste of time if ever there was one."

"What?" Cedric blinked down at the woman in shock, loosening his grip on her hands. "Princess-"

"You could have practiced and practiced however long you wanted but realistically, Cedric, you were never going to be ready for this party." The replica said with a smirk. "See, this is a party for sorcerers who are good at what they do and they know it. You on the other hand... well, I mean, look at you. You have zero confidence in yourself. You're not sure if you belong here and that's precisely why you _don't_ belong. And yet here you are, smack dab in the middle of it all. You may as well loosen your tie and just enjoy it for what it is. This is probably a one time event for you so just relax and take it all in. You being so stiff is seriously putting a damper on my good time."

Cedric felt his heart drop at his companion's words. He completely released his hold on her and stood staring as she waved him away with a wiggle of her fingers. He watched her walk off again, this time with absolutely no desire to follow her.

He was distraught and shook to his very core at how callous she was being. Something definitely seemed to have shifted within her and he couldn't help but feel that he was to blame; that he had pushed her and pushed her to the point of breaking.

"Merlin's mushrooms... what have I done?"


	6. Dinner With a Side of Disappointment

AN: Thank you for your reviews so far! They are greatly appreciated and I love reading each and every one! You make me smile!

So I had this story entirely finished but I found myself dissatisfied with the ending (is anybody who knows me surprised?) So, it turns out I'm still working on it but I really do think it will be better for it. I'm considering posting deleted material in a separate place once I have enough collected to actually make it worth posting so if you're interested, keep an eye out for that in the not so distant future..

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Pretty, pretty please let me know what you think by leaving me a lovely review!

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Cedric let out a heavy sigh as he heard someone plop down into the chair beside him. There was a small smidgen of hope that it was Sofia but the sound had come from his left and the place card there had indicated it was his sister's chair. He raised his gaze up to catch a glimpse at the woman looking him over curiously.

"I assume things didn't go well with your apology." Cordelia said as she eyed her brother's date across the way chatting it up with a handful of young male sorcerers. "She looks like she's having a good time though."

"She's definitely been having a good time." Cedric said with a forced smile.

"But you look miserable." Cordelia said softly. "Is she still cross with you?"

Cedric let out another sigh and raised his hand to his head. "That's the thing; I don't know if she's cross with me at all. She doesn't seem to be. I tried apologizing to her about all the pressure I've put her under and she told me she doesn't care about that. Still, she's... she's been so bizarre this evening."

"Well, perhaps she's stressed in a different way." Cordelia offered. "This _is_ the first time you two have been on a formal date, isn't it?"

"Th-this isn't like that." Cedric stammered. "She's merely my guest."

Cordelia cocked an eyebrow at her brother and eyed him knowingly. "The princess isn't anything _mere_ to you, Cedric. I don't know who you're trying to fool with that nonsense. Father is busy mingling. You know you can speak freely to me."

"Alright. Yes, there was a small part of me hoping that the princess would consider this little excursion of ours to be something more... intimate." Cedric admitted. "But judging by her behavior that's not the case."

"Maybe it is." Cordelia said with a shrug. "I remember my first actual date with a lad I fancied. I acted like a complete buffoon for all my nerves. Granted, the princess is quite a bit older than I was at the time but I suppose she's likely never been on a proper date before. This being her first, I understand why she's nervous."

"I severely doubt that's the case." Cedric muttered. "I still think she's distraught over all the diplomatic issues Enchancia is facing right now."

"How bad is it?" Cordelia asked in interest.

"It's looking grim." Cedric replied. "Roland is trying to avoid all out war at this point. There was a lord who rose to power in one of Enchancia's more remote territories. He's riled the people up, proclaimed himself king and established a new kingdom on the land. They're small but they have a lot of financial backing and military support from a handful of other nations. To make matters worse it looks like other nearby territories might follow suit leaving Enchancia weaker than ever. Right now it's a delicate situation and diplomacy is key. Roland is throwing a ball tonight to honor the new king and his family in an effort to keep the peace. I have no doubt that the princess was supposed to be there."

Cordelia turned a wide gaze to the woman still fraternizing with other guests. "And she came here instead?"

Cedric nodded, turning to glance at his companion. "I fear she only came because I pressured her so greatly. And I _am_ glad she's here but I also know that she should be back home at the ball. I think the stress of it all is really wearing her down. The repercussions for her being here could be catastrophic."

"Then why did you allow her to come?" Cordelia asked, returning her gaze to her brother.

"Because I... I needed her too." Cedric answered. "I didn't feel I could do this without her by my side. She gives me so much strength and I needed her to be here for me. Whatever happens in Enchancia, we'll deal with it as it comes."

Cordelia smiled widely as she reached out to clasp her brother's hand. "You really are in love with her, aren't you?"

Cedric let a small smile cross his face as he turned his eyes to his sister. "Terribly so."

Cordelia opened her mouth to reply to her brother but the sound of a bell ringing to signify dinner silenced her. She watched as the guests began to flood to their spots at the long table. She watched her brother stand to pull out his date's seat for her, though the other woman seemed to pay him little mind. She could see that it bothered Cedric, though he made his best effort to appear as though it didn't affect him at all.

She then turned her attention to the head of the table where their host was standing, tapping his wand against an empty chalice to gain the room's attention.

"Good evening and welcome, everyone, to the one-hundred seventy-seventh annual Sorcerer's Soirée." Merlin said with a happy smile. "I am pleased to host this year's soirée and I hope that you all find it to be an enjoyable evening. Dinner will be served in just a few moments, though I would like to take this time to introduce to you our special guests. As you all know, each year the host of the soirée is permitted to invite a guest of his or her choosing. I would like to introduce my guest, Cedric the Sensational and his lovely companion for the evening, Princess Sofia of Enchancia."

Cedric stood nervously to bow to the room. Relief filled him as his companion rose from her seat to curtsy alongside him. At least her manners as a royal weren't forgotten. "Thank you, Merlin. And thank you everyone for welcoming us to the Sorcerer's Soirée."

Sofia's replica took a seat as Cedric did the same and grumbled under her breath. She couldn't help but wonder if she had perhaps picked the wrong party to attend. After all, so much more damage could have been caused at the ball and while she was certainly having fun it was going to become increasingly difficult to ruin Cedric's life while sitting at a dinner table, or so she thought.

She tuned out Merlin's further prattling as dinner was served and sat in boredom waiting for her wine glass to be filled when she heard a voice across the table addressing her.

"Princess Sofia of Enchancia, was it?" An elderly woman spoke.

"Ah, Princess... this is Sibyl the Soothsayer." Cedric said, motioning to the sorceress speaking to his companion. "She is the former headmistress of Hexley Hall and the senior most member of the Wizards of Wisteria."

The doppelgänger turned her eyes to the woman, noting that she looked old enough to have been with the organization since its inception. She chose not to speak this vile comment, however. Given that the woman was a soothsayer, she needed to tread lightly. Being found out now would do her no good. She cast the woman as genuine a smile as she could muster and nodded her head. "It's a pleasure."

"I must say, I'm quite surprised to see you here as Cedric's guest." Sibyl stated plainly.

"Yes, well..." The replica let out a snort and rolled her eyes. "He practically begged me to come here and I suppose I just felt a bit sorry for him. He's always bungling things, you know. I figured he would bungle this too if I didn't show up with him."

Cedric's eyes flew to his companion in disbelief and his brow crinkled. "Princess..."

Sibyl blinked at the young woman across from her in shock. "I simply meant that with the state of your kingdom being what it is, the fact that you would find time to attend this event is surprising." The elderly sorceress then turned her gaze to Cedric. "Cedric, I can't believe it's taken this long for someone to finally invite you. As I hear it, you've become quite the skilled sorcerer. Dare I say, more skilled than your father was at your age."

"O-oh." Cedric let an uneasy smile come to his face. "I suppose I've picked up a thing or two over the years. Princess Sofia has actually been instrumental in helping me to achieve the many accolades bestowed upon me. Without her I might not be much of anything."

"No truer words were ever spoken." The copy interjected. "Cedric wouldn't be able to wipe his own nose if it weren't for me. The man has zero confidence which is understandable, quite frankly. He's like a lot of weak men. He needs a strong woman to stand behind him and stroke his ego to help him accomplish _anything_ worth while."

Calista listened a few chairs away as her uncle's companion sat speaking ill of him. It was almost more than she could take as she gripped the edge of the table. She opened her mouth to snap angrily at the woman but her mother quickly calmed her by clasping her hand. "Mum..."

Cordelia sighed and shook her head. "I know, darling."

"You know, I've met my fair share of princesses in my day and I must say you're unlike any I've ever met." Sibyl said, cocking an eyebrow at the young woman. "You're quite... outspoken."

"Princess Sofia has always been very opinionated." Cedric replied, hoping to prevent a possibly offensive statement from his companion directed at anyone other than himself. "I find it to be one of her more charming qualities."

Sibyl eyed the young woman and the smug smile on her face before turning her gaze back to Cedric. "How long is it you've known each other?"

"Since I was a little girl." The replica answered. "Cedric did some _terrible_ things to me when I was little, but I've forgiven him."

Cedric's eyes widened in horror at how those words could be misconstrued. He looked to Sibyl in a panic and waved his hands frantically. "That isn't how it sounds. I was-"

"I'm well aware of your attempt to usurp the Enchancian throne." Sibyl replied. "Under the direction of that no-account nephew of mine, Grimtrix. But as I heard it, you not only repented for your actions, you more than made up for them in the years to follow."

Sofia's copy gritted her teeth behind a forced smile. It seemed that the elderly woman was more than eager to counter every remark she made about Cedric. Sibyl was making it difficult to sully the man's reputation, though the night was still young and there were still plenty listening ears in the vicinity.

She just needed a proper audience...


	7. The Cat and the Bag

AN: So there was originally another short chapter between this and the previous one but I've decided to scrap it. I will post it elsewhere later in that collection I spoke of previously.

This chapter itself has been split in two just because it seemed too long for me. I'll post the second half (the conclusion) some time later this week on either Thursday or Friday.

I hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think!

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Sofia gasped for air, finding it hard to fill her lungs with oxygen after her rigorous flight to Merlin's tower. She didn't have time to stop and regain her breath however. She needed to get inside and locate Cedric as quickly as she could.

She rushed up to the gate but found that it was locked. She should have guessed as much. With an elite event like the Sorcerer's Soirée it was obvious that all outsiders would be excluded once the party was in full swing. She wasn't going to let despair fill her yet, however. Wormwood was circling the venue, already looking for a way in that didn't involve walking through the front door in the event that they ran into trouble.

As she watched the sky waiting for the raven's return she thought about how disappointed in her Cedric was going to be. He had been mentoring her for the majority of her life now and in that time he had taught her many things about magic but the foremost important thing he had ever taught her was never to trifle with magic that she didn't fully have a grasp on.

She had done precisely the opposite of what he'd taught her.

She hadn't even bothered look the spell over once more; merely recalled it from memory which had been extremely reckless, not that it apparently mattered. If she had simply taken the time to glance at Cedric's spell book she might have noticed that the spell would be an absolute failure regardless of her skills. It was a dreadful mistake, one she hoped Cedric wasn't going to have to pay for.

As Wormwood returned to sight she advanced toward him hopefully. "Did you find anything? Is there another way in?"

"A small open window in the kitchen." Wormwood replied. "But even I'm too large to fit."

"I might not be." Sofia muttered, clasping her amulet and willing herself to the size of a sprite. She stepped up to Wormwood and looked at him hopefully. "Will you take me?"

"I suppose I haven't got any other choice, have I?" Wormwood said irritably, crouching down so that the miniature princess could climb onto his back. "You speak of this to no one, _especially_ that furball rabbit friend of yours."

Sofia nodded and wrapped her hands around some of Wormwood's feathers to get a solid hold before the raven took flight. She held tight as he flew rather haphazardly under arches and through narrow passes until they reached the open window he had located.

She stood on the ledge, peering into the kitchen to see enchanted items bustling back and forth. Judging by the large stacks of soiled plates both dinner and dessert had already been served. She spotted a cart being loaded with after dinner hors d'oeuvres and she knew it would be her one chance to hitch a ride directly to where the soirée was being held.

She turned to look at Wormwood and cast the raven a small smile. "Wish me luck. I'm going to need it."

"I don't believe in luck." Wormwood retorted. "Just do whatever is necessary to get rid of your doppelgänger before any harm befalls Cedric."

Sofia gave Wormwood a curt nod before quickly slipping through the slightly cracked window. She looked down to see the kitchen below, treacherous for someone her size. She couldn't return to her normal self yet, however. If she had any hopes of hitching a ride on the food cart she needed to stay small.

Instead she climbed cautiously down from the windowsill past the oven and several sharp knives to the floor. She then scurried across the kitchen dodging enchanted mops and brooms alike until she reached the cart. Then it was only a matter of patience before the cart began moving in the direction of the soirée.

She held tight to the cart, her heart beating in anticipation as she was wheeled to precisely where she needed to go. When the cart stopped she peeked out from under the cloth to see a refreshment table being newly stocked with the food from the kitchen. Without hesitation she bolted under the table and stayed hidden from sight until all was silent, save for the sound of music wafting in from a nearby room.

Once all was clear she stepped out from under the table and returned herself to her rightful size.

She started in the direction of the music to find herself staring at a grand hall with the Wizards of Wisteria and all their many guests dancing to music played by enchanted instruments. Her eyes darted around the room but she saw no sign of Cedric or her mischievous copy.

She did spot Merlin, however, the man approaching in her direction with a wide smile.

"Princess Sofia, you changed your gown." Merlin noted as he approached the princess. "But what are you doing all the way over here? Didn't I spot you dancing with a handsome gentleman just a few moments ago?"

"Oh... y-yes. I'm actually looking for him now though." Sofia said, hesitant to tell Merlin that because of her mistake there was now a potentially dangerous doppelgänger of herself running rampant in his home. "Have you seen Mr. Cedric?"

"Cedric?" Merlin asked in surprise. "That's not the man you were dancing with."

"It wasn't?" Sofia asked before quickly shaking her head. "I mean, I know it wasn't. I'm looking for Mr. Cedric also. Have you seen him anywhere?"

Merlin paused in thought before offering the princess an answer. "Last I saw the poor chap he was seated in the darkest corner of the room looking terribly distraught. I don't think the evening has been playing out in his favor, what with you regaling everyone at dinner with stories of his humorous mishaps."

Sofia's heart sank at Merlin's words and she stared up at the elderly man with wide eyes. "I... I did that?"

Merlin's brow furrowed as he looked at the princess in interest. "Is something the matter, Princess Sofia?"

"Yes." Sofia whispered. "Something has gone terribly, terribly wrong. But I'm going to fix it. Please excuse me, Mr. Merlin. I desperately need to find Mr. Cedric." She started off without another word, searching faces as she moved through the crowd of guests.

A feeling of hope welled up in her heart when she spotted Cedric seated in the corner of the room like Merlin had said he was. She started eagerly over when she felt someone grab her arm. She whipped around to see Calista staring at her, an irritated scowl on the younger woman's face.

"We need to talk." Calista said, pulling the princess off the dance floor.

"Calista!" Sofia said in surprise. "Now really isn't the best time."

"I disagree." Calista retorted as she dragged Sofia out of the great hall and back to the entryway. "I want to know what your problem is. Everything you've done this evening was entirely uncalled for! I can't believe you embarrassed Uncle Ceddy like that! And now you won't even give him the decency of speaking to him?"

Sofia shook her head defensively and held her hands up. "Calista, listen-"

"No, _you_ listen!" Calista snapped. "You wouldn't even be here tonight if Uncle Ceddy hadn't brought you and you've repaid him by humiliating him in front of his peers and leaving him to wallow in self doubt. I feel like I don't even know you anymore, Sofia. What happened? I don't see you for a year and suddenly you've become this mean, terrible person."

"Calista, that's not me!" Sofia cried out. "I didn't do any of those things you're saying."

Calista cocked a skeptical eyebrow at the princess and crossed her arms. "Then who did?"

"It was a copy I made of myself." Sofia replied. "A magical replica that was meant to take my place back at the castle tonight. Instead she took off with your uncle and came here to wreak havoc. I have to stop her."

"Wait..." Calista reached out to catch Sofia's hand as she started away. "You made a copy of yourself? And that's who has been here with us all evening?"

Sofia nodded and pulled away from the sorceress quickly. "I have to get to Mr. Cedric and apologize."

"That won't be necessary." Sofia's doppelgänger chimed as she approached the other two women standing in the foyer. "By the time I'm through with him Cedric won't ever want to speak to you again."

Sofia turned a glare at her copy and clenched her fists at her sides. "This ends now!"

"Hmm... not quite yet." The duplicate said as she produced a wand she had stolen from an unsuspecting sorcerer and waved it in Sofia and Calista's direction. " _Desino_!"

Sofia gritted her teeth as she tried to charge at the copy, though she knew the spell well enough to know that it had stopped her in her tracks. "You leave Mr. Cedric alone! He never did anything to you!"

"He got rid of me." The replica said with a scowl. "I was too little to fight back then but I can fight back now. I'll destroy both of your lives. I'll make you as miserable as you made me and I will bask in it."

"You've humiliated him at the single most important event of his life! I think you've made him plenty miserable." Sofia replied angrily. "You've done enough."

"Oh, but I've barely begun." The copy said with a smile. "And when we go back to the castle I'm going straight to his bedroom with him."

Sofia let out a scoff and narrowed her gaze on the other woman. "That's never going to happen. Mr. Cedric is a gentleman. He wouldn't sleep with someone he doesn't have feelings for."

"No man is _that_ much of a gentleman, not even your _dear Mr. Cedric_." The duplicate said with a snort. "But even if he is, it definitely won't be a problem. He thinks I'm you, after all; his beloved Princess Sofia. I'm going to fuck him senseless and make him feel like I'm the only person who could ever possibly love him and then... I'm going to scream and cry for help. The guards will come running to find me in his bed, ravaged and exposed. I imagine your parents would waste no time dealing out punishment for _that_."

Sofia stared at her doppelgänger in horror. "Y-you can't do that!"

"But I can, and I will." Sofia's copy retorted. "And I think the best part will be the look of absolute heartbreak on his face when his beloved princess signs his death warrant. The only question now is how am I going to get my revenge on _you_? I could just kill you and take over your life completely but then I don't really get to see you suffer. Though, I suppose knowing the man you love will be put to death would be suffering enough, wouldn't it?"

"I'm not going to let you get away with this!" Sofia shouted furiously.

"I don't know how you think you'll stop me." The replica said with a shrug and a smile, raising the wand back in Sofia's direction. "You know, at first I thought it was pretty pathetic that you're so in love with that sorcerer but I gotta admit, he really is kind of cute in that sad, lost little puppy dog sort of way. I'm going to have fun fucking him. It's almost too bad you won't be around to see it."

"I'd lower that wand this instant if I were you." Sibyl warned as she pressed her own wand against the duplicate's back.

The copy scowled as she felt the sharp pain of something jabbing her between the shoulder blades though she didn't need to look over her shoulder to know what it was, nor did she need to look to see who was standing behind her. "Well, if it isn't the mouthy old woman."

"And you are just a filthy little doppelgänger." Sibyl retorted. "If you want to go slinging insults, I can think of quite a few more."

"You knew..." The duplicate Sofia said irritably.

"I could sense the magic on you from the moment you wafted through the front door like a storm cloud eager to cause as much destruction as you could." Sibyl said with a huff. "Though as to what you truly were I hadn't the faintest idea. Not until now, anyway."

The replica scoffed and lowered the wand in her hand. "So what are you going to do now? Get rid of me?"

"Fortunately for you I don't know the counter-spell." Sibyl said, moving around the woman toward Sofia and Calista. "Though I'm willing to bet the real princess does."

The doppelgänger watched, narrowing her gaze as Sibyl reached out to tap the other women with her wand, releasing them from the spell that bound them to their spots. She knew she was running out of options at that point and there was no way she could win a magical duel against any of the three skilled magic users. Instead she flicked the wand in her hand against her dress, changing its color to match Sofia's olive gown.

She then bolted back toward the great hall, dashing across the dance floor past many confused faces and up to Cedric who was still seated in the corner looking distraught. She reached out and grabbed him, shaking him vigorously. "Mr. Cedric! Thank goodness you're alright!"


	8. Revelation

AN: So, I struggled a bit with this part of the chapter. There are two versions and this one is definitely the stronger of the two I think. I'm pretty pleased with this conclusion and definitely prefer it to the even earlier ending.

I have another story in the works that I'm very excited to share with you all. It's called Cry for the Moon and when I get back from my camping trip on Sunday evening I will be posting the first chapter so if you're interested, keep your eyes peeled or just follow me for updates.

I hope you all enjoyed this little story. Thank you all so much for your reviews! Please let me know what you think about this story's conclusion and hopefully I'll see you around Cry for the Moon!

THANK YOU FOR READING!

* * *

Cedric looked to the woman standing before him, noting the color of her gown was different from earlier in the evening. His eyes flickered up to her face to see a look of panic there. She was shaking him and she seemed frantic, though at this point her strange behavior didn't necessarily shock him. "Princess... what-"

"There's no time to explain!" The doppelgänger shouted, pulling Cedric up to stand. "We have to leave right now!"

"W-we can't just leave, Princess." Cedric muttered.

The duplicate let out an irritated growl and continued to tug at the man. "Mr. Cedric, _please_!"

Cedric watched as the woman glanced back over her shoulder toward the exit. That was when he saw with unsurpassed confusion that Sofia was entering the great hall with both Sibyl and Calista following swiftly behind. "What in the name of Poseidon's Pumpkins?"

"I-I made a mistake!" The copy cried out, grabbing Cedric's attention back by gripping him tighter. "I made a copy of myself to go to the ball tonight because I wanted to be here with you. Instead she trapped me in my closet and ran away with you. I got here as soon as I could to stop her but she has the others convinced that she's the real me. They're trying to get rid of me! You have to stop them!"

Cedric's brow furrowed and he quickly pulled the woman behind him to shield her from the three approaching rapidly. He produced his wand to arm himself and held it out in their direction. "Stop right where you are!"

Sofia felt her breath catch as Cedric pointed his wand at her. A lump rose instantly in her throat and she stared at him in shock. "Mr. Cedric..."

"Uncle Ceddy, lower your wand!" Calista shouted, taking a step toward her uncle. "That woman with you is _not_ Sofia! She's a replica!"

"How can you be sure that's not the replica with you?" Cedric retorted, his eyes darting up and down the princess' form. "For all any of you know, _she_ could be the fake."

Sibyl shook her head at Cedric and crossed her arms over her chest. "I know a magical creation when I see one and that little imp behind you is about as magic as they come. Step away from her, Cedric."

"With all due respect, Sibyl, I won't do that." Cedric replied. "This is too important of a matter to just step aside."

"Then what do you suggest?" Sibyl asked, cocking an eyebrow at the man. "They can't both remain."

Sofia inhaled sharply and took a hesitant step forward. "Mr. Cedric-"

"Be quiet." Cedric snapped. "I'm thinking."

Sofia winced at the harshness of the man's tone, though she couldn't blame him. He thought she was the copy and it was the copy who had been tormenting him all evening. She wrung her hands together nervously and watched his face. He looked as though he was terribly conflicted and she hated to see so much pain on his features. "J-just imprison us both. That way you can be sure."

The duplicate glared at Sofia, knowing the suggestion might tip Cedric off to the fact that the real princess was standing in front of him. She quickly gripped his arm and pulled him close. "Yes, you _should_ lock us both away. I don't mind, Mr. Cedric. Whatever keeps you safe."

"I'm not locking you away." Cedric replied. "I couldn't bear the thought."

"Cedric..." Cordelia said, stepping out from the crowd to look at her brother worriedly. Her eyes darted to their parents who were looking on in as much confusion as the rest of the crowd before she looked back at her brother. "Perhaps this would best be handled somewhere more private."

Cedric nodded in agreement, wrapping an arm around the woman behind him to lead her away. He then pointed his wand at Sofia. "You, come along. Cordelia will lead you."

Sofia let out a heavy sigh and lowered her head. She felt Cordelia grab her arm gently and pull her along. Her mind was swirling with terrifying thoughts. What if she couldn't convince Cedric that she was the original? What if he got rid of her permanently? What if her doppelgänger was successful in framing Cedric of a crime too terrible to even speak of? What if something even worse happened? All of it was weighing down on her as they returned to the entryway and Cordelia released her hold on her.

"I won't be far, Cedric." Cordelia said, stepping back toward the great hall. "I'll do my best to keep Mother and Father at bay."

"Thank you, Cordy, for everything this evening." Cedric replied, nodding gratefully to his sister. He watched her make her exit before turning his attention to the two women in front of him. "Now, let's get to the bottom of this. One of you is a magical replica who has spent her entire evening toying with me maliciously and the other has quite a lot of explaining to do."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Cedric!" Sofia cried out. "I... I made a huge mistake. I thought I was strong enough to use the _doppler duplicato_ spell. I didn't know about the fail-safe until it was too late. Now she's ruined your special evening and-"

"If his evening was ruined it was all your doing." The replica said, pointing an accusatory finger at the princess. "Poor Mr. Cedric has been looking forward to the Sorcerer's Soirée for months and you ruined it for him! If he's never invited back it will be all your fault."

Sofia sucked in a deep breath and lowered her head sadly. "You're right about that. This whole mess _is_ my fault."

"Well, at least you admit it. Go ahead, Mr. Cedric." The copy said, gripping the man's arm. "Get rid of her."

"Wait. I have more to say." Sofia said, returning her gaze to Cedric. "I was the one who carelessly cast the spell without fully understanding it. That was one of the first things you taught me never to do and I foolishly disregarded that lesson in desperation. Everything that has happened here tonight _is_ my doing and I take full responsibility for that. I'm so sorry."

Cedric blinked at Sofia, the sincerity in her eyes tugging at him. He turned his gaze to the woman clinging to his arm before returning it the one before him.

The doppelgänger caught Cedric's glance and narrowed her eyes at Sofia before tightening her grip on Cedric's arm. "I was the one who made that mistake. So I guess it's actually my fault after all. I'm sorry, Mr. Cedric."

"Why?" Cedric replied, looking between both women in confusion. "Why would you bother to make a magical replica?"

"Because I was supposed to go to the ball." The duplicate replied, staring up at Cedric to hold his gaze. "But I also wanted to come here with you tonight."

Cedric turned his eyes to Sofia and looked at her expectantly for her explanation.

Sofia shrugged and gave Cedric a small smile. "That's the truth of it, actually. I knew I was obligated to go to the ball because it was so important but coming to the Sorcerer's Soirée was far more important to me. I wanted to be here with you this evening. I wanted to share in your special night and support you any way I could. Instead I caused you a bunch of trouble. I'm so sorry."

Cedric's brow furrowed and he pulled slowly from the woman holding to him. "How could this be more important to you than the ball? Is it because I pressured you so much? Because I made you feel like you didn't have any other choice?"

"No." Sofia shook her head at the sorcerer staring down at her in concern. "You never made me feel like I _had_ to come here with you. I _wanted_ to be here with you more than anything in the world. Mr. Cedric, words can't even begin to describe how much you mean to me. The truth is that I could practice over and over all the ways to tell you how important you are but the words simply can't convey how I feel."

"What do you mean?" Cedric asked hesitantly.

Sofia looked down at the ground, her heart pounding in anticipation. Her palms were sweaty and her mouth was dry. The lump in her throat was almost too large to swallow and she felt like her words might just fail her. Then she raised her gaze to the man standing before her, the look of hope in his eyes directed at her, and all her apprehension melted away. "I... I'm in love with you, Mr. Cedric."

Cedric's breath hitched at Sofia's words. He took another step toward her, allowing a small smile to tug at the corner of his mouth. "Is that really how you feel?"

"More than you'll ever know." Sofia said softly, returning the man's smile.

The doppelgänger's eyes widened and she reached out, snagging Cedric's sleeve to yank him back against her. "She's just trying to trick you! _I'm_ the one who loves you, Cedric! She doesn't! She's just trying to seduce you like she did earlier!"

Cedric froze momentarily, staring straight ahead in realization. His thoughts drifted back to earlier in the evening in his workshop when Sofia's copy had been extremely suggestive in her words to him. At first he'd doubted she'd meant it intentionally but given what he now knew, it was all too obvious. He removed his arm from the replica's grasp and turned an irritated gaze down at the woman. "How could you possibly know about that if you weren't there?"

"Shit..." Sofia's duplicate muttered, taking a step back from Cedric. She quickly produced the wand she had stolen and aimed it at him just as he pointed his own at her. "Don't make me use this, _Ceddy-kins_. I know quite a few nasty spells from years of watching you through her eyes. You utter a single syllable of a spell and I'll destroy you."

"You're bluffing." Cedric retorted.

"Try me." The copy said with a glare. "I _know_ what spell you're going to use on me but do you have any idea what spell I'm going to use on you?"

Cedric narrowed his gaze at the replica and gripped his wand tightly. "I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be." The doppelgänger said coldly. " _Necro letalis!_ "

Sofia let out a horrified cry as she bolted in front of Cedric. She knew immediately what spell the other woman was going to utter before the second syllable even left her lips and she was determined to block the curse of death the duplicate had cast. She watched with a sorrowful sense of satisfaction as the spell struck her square in the chest, preventing it from reaching its intended target.

"Sofia!" Cedric called out but he didn't get the chance to do much else. The strike blew Sofia back and into him, sending them both toppling to the ground. He pushed himself up quickly and grabbed the princess, staring down at her in horror. "Sofia! Sofia!"

But there came no response to his call. Panic took him over and he began shaking the woman, calling out to her desperately now as she lie motionless in his arms. Despair filled him but rage was fueling him. He whipped around with his wand at the ready but when he set eyes on the doppelgänger he saw that she was sprawled out on the floor, eyes open wide and completely unmoving.

Then he heard the most beautiful sound in the world; a gasp.

He turned back to Sofia and watched her hopefully as her eyes slowly opened. Relief flooded over him and he let out a happy laugh despite the tears now rising to his eyes.

"M-Mr. Cedric?" Sofia murmured as the vision of the sorcerer came into view. "A-are we dead?"

"No, Sofia." Cedric answered, shaking his head as he gently brushed stray hairs from her face. "We're both very much alive thanks to you."

Sofia's brow furrowed in confusion. She distinctly remembered being struck by the replica's _necro letalis_ spell. She glanced down at her chest to see her amulet resting in the same place she had been hit. "M-my amulet must have blocked the spell."

"And deflected it back toward your copy." Cedric muttered. "She's dead."

"What!?" Sofia made an effort to sit up but Cedric pushed her back down and shook his head.

"You don't want to see." The sorcerer spoke softly. He turned quickly back to the lifeless corpse, uncomfortable at seeing it for the simple fact that it looked so much like the woman he loved. A wave of his wand and an utterance of the counter-spell removed the body from the foyer. He then turned his attention back to the princess, looking her over as he stroked her face with care. "Sofia, you took a big risk putting yourself between me and that spell. You could have been killed."

Sofia looked up at Cedric calmly, offering a small shrug in response to his words. "I know that. But I love you, Mr. Cedric. I would do anything to-"

Cedric silenced the princess with his mouth over hers, letting his hand slide from her face to cup the back of her head. He parted his lips to kiss her deeply and she seemed more than happy with this. After a moment he pulled back and pressed his forehead against hers. "Please don't ever do something like that again. I love you far too much to lose you."

"Y-you do?" Sofia asked, a feeling of joy welling up inside her.

"Yes." Cedric said quietly. "I should have told you that a long time ago... but if you'll allow me, I'd like to continue telling you every day from now on. I love you, Sofia."

"I love you too, Cedric." Sofia replied scarcely above a whisper.

" _Finally_..." Cordelia said with a snort, watching from the doorway with Calista at her side. "Now will you two hurry up and get back to the soirée? I can't hold Mother and Father at bay forever, you know. Besides, I think everyone in there is very eager for an explanation."

Cedric let a small blush creep to his face at his sister's chiding. He stood slowly and reached down to pull Sofia up before offering his arm to her. "Shall we?"

Sofia cast Cedric a bashful smile as she took his arm and bowed her head. "I thought you'd never ask."


End file.
